Destination Distance From Downtown

Difficulty

Time To Complete

Seasonality

Dog Friendly

Fees Permits

Land Website

Review

Intro

The Lance Armstrong Bikeway is an asphalt and concrete bicycle path and marked bike lane - some of it two-way, some of it one-way, and a work in progress.

Conceived in 1999, the bikeway has been almost two decades in the making as a convenient entrance to Downtown Austin and the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail for cyclists.

The vision for the future of the bikeway is for it to be an easy and safe east-west route for commuters and recreational riders as well - with plans to extend it several miles east of Interstate 35.

What Makes It Great

The largely shaded route, nearly 5 miles long and growing, is safe, peaceful, scenic and never dull.

It takes riders along Lady Bird Lake, past some beautiful lakeside parks on both sides of the freeway, and west under I-35 on a protected path into downtown.

The bikeway rolls through the downtown bar district, past some great restaurants, clubs and bike shops, and then heads west on Cesar Chavez, on a wide, smooth and lined two-way route that goes past the repurposed (and rather steampunk) Seaholm Power Plant and out to Veteran’s Drive and Lake Austin boulevard.

Along the way, Lady Bird Lake on the south side of the bikeway offers a beautiful and peaceful place to take a breather or grab a picnic. The north side offers great views of the Austin skyline.

East from the freeway, the bikeway picks up its own path alongside the train tracks and connects to the Plaza Saltillo bus and train station at East 5th and Comal, making it an excellent partner to people commuting to work (or play) from points further north.

Especially given that the trains almost always have spaces for bicycles, rarely fill up and head as far north as Cedar Park.

Who is Going to Love It

Riders of all ages and levels can hang with the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, with no hills or difficult climbs. As there are places where the bicycles must use just marked bike lanes, beginners should have enough skill to ride alongside vehicular traffic.

Much of the bikeway, however, is its own path with quick and easy on-and-offs, so it’s not necessary to be a high-level rider to use it.

People who live within a couple of miles of downtown will find it especially useful, but it’s also a safe way to access downtown for commuters who choose to use public transit and want to ride in from the east side.

The Lance Armstrong Bikeway is an asphalt and concrete bicycle path and marked bike lane - some of it two-way, some of it one-way, and a work in progress.

Conceived in 1999, the bikeway has been almost two decades in the making as a convenient entrance to Downtown Austin and the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail for cyclists.

The vision for the future of the bikeway is for it to be an easy and safe east-west route for commuters and recreational riders as well - with plans to extend it several miles east of Interstate 35.

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

Parking is available all along the route, with spots along the street at Plaza Saltillo and points through downtown, and free (albeit full on nice days) parking lots at various parks along the trail.